12-07-2010

“In the future, respect for Human Rights will increasingly be a universal criterion for designing ethical systems.” With these words of the Iranian-American Human Rights activist Mahnaz-Afkhami I bid you welcome to the twelfth EU-NGO forum on Human Rights. I am delighted that the annual dialogue session between the EU and a great number of international and national NGO representatives takes place in Brussels, the heart of Europe. Let it be a sign that the EU will listen, with open mind and full heart, to their recommendations and draw from their hands-on experiences.

I am impressed to see you came with so many, which is an honor for Belgium and must be a first good sign. I would also like to express my special appreciation to those who had a long journey getting here.

We are gathered here today, dear EU and NGO representatives, to help improve the way the European Union deals with Human Rights in both its internal and its external policies. This year, the central theme of the EU-NGO Forum will be “the implementation of the EU Human Rights instruments under the Lisbon Treaty”. An excellent choice, I believe.

Only a few months after the Lisbon Treaty has entered into force, civil society, EU institutions and member state representatives are all present for this exercise, which will help strengthen the EU’s capacity to effectively promote Human Rights as an integral part of its policy framework.

With the entry to force of the Lisbon Treaty and the creation of the European External Action Service ahead, a wide range of new perspectives arise, which are meant to change the face and the means of the EU’s external action efforts. At the same time, the EU and its Member States are engaged in a process of profound restructuring of their policy instruments, aimed at both incorporating the agenda of effective Human Rights promotion and improving cooperation, coherence and complementarity.

Hence, I invite you to explore the possible human rights implications the Lisbon reforms bring about with regard to the implementation of the EU instruments for Human Rights. For example: the seven EU guidelines on Human Rights, the EU Local Strategies and Dialogues on Human Rights, the consultation sessions with members of civil society, the EU interventions on individual cases or the various thematic demarches of the EU on Human Rights issues.

During this twelfth session we will critically assess the actual state of play for the EU’s Human Rights policy and evaluate the effective and concrete application of its instruments in the field, including through the action of local diplomatic representations and EU delegations. Therefore, the Commission and Belgium have proposed to centre this valuable reflection on four carefully selected themes, which will be broached upon throughout the workshops. These are: (first) the EU instruments and the fight against the death penalty, (second) the EU’s role in the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights. The fight against the death penalty is a theme that lies at the heart of the EU’s Human Rights approach. Also for Belgium in particular, it remains an absolute policy priority. Moreover, the consolidation of Europe’s campaign for the abolition of the death penalty through the Lisbon Treaty creates interesting opportunities for the European External Action Service and the EU High Representative, Ms Catherine Ashton. Further, the second theme of social, economic and cultural rights deserves to be the subject of detailed discussion as it directly relates to the principle of the indivisibility of Human Rights, which points as well to our commercial and development cooperation policies, and to the worldwide struggle against poverty.

(Third) The EU’s relations with regional organizations with regard to Human Rights, (and fourth) the consistency between the EU’s internal and external policies. These last two themes will ensure a more horizontal approach to the upcoming discussions. In addition to that, both themes are of particular value in the context of the ever increasing multilateral decision making world-wide and the need for the EU to develop sustainable relations with other regional institutions, including on Human Rights issues.

The focus on concrete sub-themes allows us to illustrate in a tangible way the direct implications of the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Human Rights instruments in these relevant domains. For the European Union has often been criticized with regard to the effective implementation of the EU Human Rights instruments. Our goal throughout these four workshops will be to draw operational conclusions from the discussions specifically related to each theme.

I would like to share some of my personal views on Human Rights and stress our collective responsibility in protecting and promoting them, not only in far away places, but also among ourselves.

Ladies and gentlemen, in times of global economic crisis, changing balances of power, and the ever-pressing climate challenge, fear for worse tends to result in security-driven policy responses and contorted reactions of governments. However, if we forget about our fundamental respect for human dignity and about our unique human potentialities, such short-term responses might turn out to be counterproductive. While states have to formulate socio-economic development policies, they also have to respect the principles of Human Rights, Good Governance, and the Rule of Law. Development, peace, security and Human Rights are tightly intertwined and mutually reinforcing.

Our care for human rights must stretch beyond words and major declarations, because Human Rights deserve more. They deserve more than diplomats and politicians paying them lip services. For great ideas need landing gear as well as wings. Our commitment must be translated into concrete action with a substantial impact on the lives of people. The instruments on Human Rights, which the EU and its Member States have already at their disposal, deserve to be used adequately.

An important thing that I would still like to note is that any plead for Human Rights will lose its credibility and its strength if we deal with it in a selective manner. Therefore, any country- even our economic or strategic partners – must be amenable for an open and constructive dialogue on Human Rights issues. No regional reflex can be used as an excuse.

This equally implies that we cannot be soft on ourselves either. We must not rest on our laurels. At all times, it is necessary to be on the alert for evolutions that stand for a backlash. From time to time it is essential to carefully scrutinize our own behavior and have the courage to assess our weaknesses, to recognize our failures. I am fully aware that this is no easy task, but that doesn’t make it less relevant. Moreover, I believe that if we keep this exercise in mind, we might be able to avoid the arrogance trap and strengthen the profile of the EU with regard to the promotion of universal Human Rights.

Today, it is my wish and my sincere hope that the substantial field-based recommendations of the delegates and representatives of all civil society organizations gathered here will contribute to a more realistic, coherent and effective application of our valuable European Human Rights instruments.

Dear delegates and members of civil society, your independent and impartial work remains of indispensable value for the political scene. You provide the political world with the needed feedback loop needed to ensure a vibrant and progressive European Human Rights policy. I am confident that these two-day long consultation sessions will succeed in bringing forth the needed practical focus and will help the EU in successfully carrying out its Human Rights policies.

The idea upon which Human Rights are founded is simple and clear. Let me express this with the words of the nineteenth century politician and orator Robert Ingersoll: “Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.” Simple and clear, but also undeniable and demanding.

Let’s use the extraordinary challenges that lay ahead for Europe as a motivation, let’s move forward with renewed strength and meet those challenges, so new opportunities can arise.
You have my full support and I wish you all the best!
Thank you

Only spoken word prevails